"COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Democratic Party on Monday urged federal and state prosecutors to investigate whether the largest privately owned coal company in the country illegally forced employees and vendors to contribute to presidential contender Mitt Romney and other mostly Republican candidates."

"'Give they do, because they certainly want to keep their jobs and understand, in our estimation, that if they don’t give they will be treated much differently as far as their employment is concerned,’’ party Chairman Chris Redfern said.

He has asked Cleveland-based U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach, Cuyahoga County Acting Prosecutor Tim McGinty, and the Federal Elections Commission to look into whether Cleveland-based Murray Energy Corp. and its CEO, Robert E. Murray, engaged in extortion, money laundering, and racketeering, or made illegal direct corporate contributions.

Beneficiaries of Murray’s generosity include Mr. Romney, U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, Gov. John Kasich, and other current and past GOP candidates, the complaint alleges. In all, the complaint claims Murray contributed $720,000 to Ohio state candidates and millions to federal candidates."